Immobilizer for children being x-rayed



Feb. 5, 1957 P. FROHMAN ETAL 2,789,730

IMMOBILIZER FOR CHILDREN BEING X-RAYED Filed Nov. 25, 1955 INVENTORS/saac P, Prof/man 0M /V/ '6/10/448 M Fesfa ATTORNEY =I OBILIZER FORCHILDREN BEING X-RAYED Application November 25, 1955, Serial No. 548,856

5 Claims. (Cl. 250-50) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in apparatus for use in connection with the taking of X-raypictures and deals more particularly with apparatus for immobilizinginfants and young children in positions at which their chests may beX-rayed.

It is frequently necessary or desirable to obtain chest X-rays of veryyoung children. To be of any value, however, the pictures obtained mustbe clear and it is frequently difiicult to impress the very youngpatients with the importance of remaining absolutely immobile during thenecessary period for proper exposure of the film. As a result, thepictures are often blurred and re-X-raying is required with attendantdelays and inconvenience in rescheduling appointments. Further, theimmediate availability of clear and readable X-rays may be of vitalimportance in determining the proper treatment to be given the patient.

Attempts have been made in the past to overcome the above mentioneddifficulties by forcibly restraining the movement of young childrenwhile X-rays were being taken. This procedure, however, is likely tofrighten the child and, since it is almost impossible to completelyrestrain all movement, may result in movement which might otherwise havebeen avoided.

A further problem encountered in taking X-ray pictures of young childrenis the difliculty in positioning the child in the proper locationrelative to the film and the X-ray tube. In other words, the child mustbe supported in proper relationship with the film and the supports forboth the child and film must be adapted for use in connection with thevarious types of existing, standard X-ray equipment.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide advice which Willpermit the taking of clear X-ray pictures of the chests of very youngchildren quickly and efficiently and without modification of existingstandard X-ray equipment.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a device whichwill support a child in an immobile position for the taking of chestX-rays without physical restraint.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a simple andefficient portable support for maintaining a child in properrelationship with an X-ray film holder while the childs chest isX-rayed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device forcompletely immobilizing children of various sizes while they aresupported in a proper position relative to an X-ray film holder fortaking X-ray pictures of the childrens chests.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like reference characters are employed to designate like partsthroughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the inventionshowing the device in use for taking an X-ray of a childs chest,

Patent ice Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the deviceillustrated in Fig. 1, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown thepreferred embodiment of the invention, reference character 4 designatesa seat or stool in its entirety. The seat 4 is formed by a platform 5which is supported in a substantially horizontal position bytransversely spaced leg members 6 which are rigidly connected to theplatform and the opposite ends of which extend outwardly beyond thefront and back edges of the platform to prevent tipping of the seat 4.The function of the leg members 6 is to support the platform 5 in aslightly elevated position for the comfort of the patient, as will belater described, and it will be readily apparent that other suitablesupports might be employed. A transversely extending member 7 extendsbetween and is connected to the two leg members 6 beneath the middleportion of the platform 5 to further stabilize the platform.

The front edge of the platform 5 has a notch 8 formed therein forreceiving the legs of the patient as illustrated in Fig. l. The patient,therefore, may be seated 'on the back portion of the platform 5 withoutdiscomfort to his legs at the point where they are engaged by the frontedge of the platform.

. The spacing between the outer side surfaces of the two leg members 6is slightly less than one of the dimensions of a standard sizerectangular X-ray film cassette. The side edges of the platform 5 whichproject outwardly beyond the sides of the leg members 6 are providedwith laterally opposed notches 9 the bottoms of which are aligned withthe outer surfaces of the leg members 6. Mounted on the outer side ofeach leg member 6 by means of screws 11, or the like, is a post 12 whichextends vertically upwardly through the adjacent notch 9 in the platform5. The height of the two posts 12 may vary substantially but shouldapproximate the shoulder height of a child seated on the platform 5.

Formed in the opposed inner faces of the two posts 12 are verticallyextending notches 13 the widths of which are equal to the thickness ofthe marginal portion of a standard X-ray film cassette. The depths ofthe notches 13 are such that the spacing between the opposed bottoms ofthe notches is equal to one dimension of a standard cassette.

One example of the spacing between the posts 12 and the dimensions ofthe various portions of the posts will be given to illustrate thevarious points referred to above. The spacing between the outer surfacesof the leg members 6 and the equal spacing between the inner sides ofthe posts 12 may be nine inches with the depth of each notch 13 equal toone-half an inch and the width of each notch equal to three-fourths ofan inch. The spacing between the bottoms of the notches 13, therefore,will be equal to ten inches and the notches will receive and support ina vertical position either an eight by ten inch cassette or a ten bytwelve inch cassette, the thickness of the cassette being three-fourthsof an inch in either case and the ten inch dimension of either cassettebeing fitted between the posts 12. It will be readily apparent thatcassettes of the two sizes mentioned will provide a variation of fourinches in the vertical height of the cassette when positioned in thenotches 13.

Referring now to Fig. 1 for a detail description of the manner in whichthe seat 4 is employed for taking clear X-ray pictures of a childschest, the seat is positioned on a conventional X-ray table 14 in anyconvenient position relative to the X-ray tube 15. The child to beX-rayed is then seated toward the back of the platform 5, the posts 12being laterally aligned with the front of the childs chest, and acassette 16 is fitted into the notches 13. Depending upon the size ofthe child, the

cassette 16 employed should be of a size selected to permit the childschin to overlie the top of the cassette. The child is then directed orguided to clasp his hands together on the side of the cassette 16 towardthe front of the seat 4 and the picture is exposed.

When positioned as described above, the child will invariably holdhimself immobile during exposure of the film in the cassette 16 and ithas been found that embracing the posts 12 and cassette gives the childa sense of security and helps to calm frightened children.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention hereinillustrated and described is to be taken as a preferred example of thesame and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement ofparts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfimmobilization ofchildren to be X-rayed, comprising a seat supported in an elevatedposition and adapted to have a child positioned thereon, and cassettesupporting members rigidly mounted on the opposite side portions of saidseat and extending upwardly therefrom at locations for supporting acassette in a substantially vertical position across the legs and infront of the chest of a child seated on said seat.

2. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfimmobilization ofchildren to be X-rayed, comprising a seat supported in an elevatedposition and adapted to have a child positioned thereon, and a pair ofvertically extending cassette supporting members rigidly mounted inlaterally opposed positions on said seat and in spaced relationship fromthe back edge of the seat for engaging opposite marginal portions of thecassette to support the latter in a substantially vertical positionacross the legs and in front of the chest of a child seated on saidseat.

3. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfimmobilization ofchildren to be X-rayed, comprising a seat supported in an elevatedposition and adapted to have a child positioned thereon, a pair ofcassette supporting posts mounted in laterally opposed, substantiallyvertical positions on said seat for engaging opposite marginal portionsof the cassette to support the latter for substantially verticalmovement into engagement with the legs of the child seated on the seatin a plane across the front of the chest of the child.

4. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfirnmobilization ofchildren to be X-rayed, comprising a seat adapted to have a childpositioned thereon, and a pair of cassette supporting posts rigidlymounted in laterally opposed positions on said seat, the opposed innersides of said posts having formed therein substantially verticallyextending notches for receiving opposite marginal portions of thecassette to support the latter for movement of its bottom edge intoengagement with the legs of a child seated on the seat and in a planeacross the front of the chest of the child for encirclement by the armsof the child.

5. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfimmobilization ofchildren to be X-rayed, comprising a seat adapted to have a childpositioned thereon, laterally spaced members supporting said seat in anelevated position, and a pair of posts rigidly mounted on saidsupporting members at the middle portion of said seat and extendingsubstantially vertically above the seat, said posts having their opposedinner surfaces longitudinally notched for sliding engagement with theopposite marginal portions of the cassette to support the latter formovement into a position between the legs and chin of a child seated onthe seat and in a plane across the middle portion of the seat and infront of the chest of the child.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

